Too Close for Comfort
by jadey36
Summary: Sometimes, Much would rather remain ignorant, and today is one of those times.


**Disclaimer: **Robin Hood belongs to Tiger Aspect and the BBC. No copyright infringement intended. All rights reserved.

**Author's Note:** written for Hoodie prompt **look closely** over on Dreamwidth/bbc_robinhood.

* * *

**Too Close for Comfort**

Will and Allan were talking excitedly, passing a weird-looking object back and forth between them.

Much stopped trying to prise the chestnut out of its prickly casing and moved closer to discover what the strange object was. "What's that?"

"This," Allan said, thrusting the object at Much, "is a blooming miracle."

Tuck walked up to the men, smiling. "It is a spyglass, Much."

Much eyed the conical length of leather, a piece of thick glass at its end. "What does it do?"

"It is used to make things that are far away appear closer," Tuck explained, taking the glass from Allan. "Here. Try it for yourself."

Hesitantly, Much wrapped his hands around the strange object. "What do I—"

"Put it to your eye," Will said, gesturing.

Slowly, Much brought the spyglass to his eye.

Tuck smiled a white-toothed smile. "It won't bite. Press it hard against your eye."

Much did so.

"Now, open your eye and look closely. Tell me what you see."

Much opened his right eye, shrieked and stumbled backwards. He couldn't remember being as close as he was to the big oak.

"Careful," Tuck chided, catching the spyglass before it hit the ground and handing it somewhat reluctantly back to Much. "I carried this many hundreds of miles across desert and sea."

Allan and Will laughed at Much's puzzled face.

Much stared. The oak was many yards away. Tentatively, he put the spyglass back to his eye and squinted. He could make out the cracked and fissured bark of the tree. He stuck out his left hand trying to touch it but only swiped air. When he looked again, he saw the tree was still on the far side of the clearing. "This is amazing."

Feeling bolder now, Much put the glass back to his eye and pointed it in another direction. He almost fell over when he saw a huge squirrel eating nuts. My God, he could ride the damn thing! He took the glass from his eye. It was an ordinary-sized squirrel. Much was disappointed: a squirrel as big as the one through the spyglass would feed the gang for a week. He studied a few other things: acorns, clouds, the toes of his boots.

"Come on," said Allan, waving them towards the trees. "It's time we were getting back."

Much offered the spyglass to Tuck.

"No, keep it. Play with it. But do not drop it."

Continually pausing to spy this and that, Much soon lagged far behind the others, eventually losing sight of them altogether.

Spotting a movement off to his left, he put the spyglass back to his eye expecting to see a deer or some other forest creature. A huge black shape appeared in Much's vision. Gisborne.

Fearful, Much was about to start running after the others when he remembered two things: the spyglass made Gisborne appear closer than he actually was and Gisborne was now on the outlaws' side. Vaisey's former master-at-arms and Robin had formed an alliance following the discovery and rescue of their half-brother, Archer, and the fact they both wished to get rid of Gisborne's mad, bad sister, Isabella, the newly appointed Sheriff of Nottingham.

Much spotted another movement, closing in on Gisborne. The spyglass revealed Robin. Much watched through the glass as Guy and Robin spoke. He was too far away to hear what they were saying, but the men's smiles indicated they were neither arguing nor at each other's throats.

Much watched as Robin unlaced his breeches, quickly followed by Gisborne unbuckling his leather trousers. Much lowered the spyglass. Watching men having a piss was not his idea of fun, even though he was more than a little curious to see what both his master and Gisborne kept inside their undergarments.

Much screwed up his eyes. Strange. Robin and Guy were facing each other. Clearly, they had finished relieving themselves, so why were their breeches and braies still around their ankles?

Much put the spyglass back to his right eye. He clamped a hand over his mouth to stifle a shocked squeal. Robin had told Much that he and Guy had become much friendlier of late. So friendly, in fact, that they were starting to enjoy each other's company. Saddened by this news, fearing the loss of Robin's affections, Much had not enquired further, telling himself that Robin would soon find fault with Gisborne and he and Much would be best friends again.

Tears welling in his eyes, Much rushed after Tuck and the others.

_Sometimes_, he thought, glancing at the wretched spyglass,_ it didn't pay to look at a thing too closely. _


End file.
